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THE 









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Spiritualism Exploded and Exposed 



A SATIRE. 



By PHIL. JE. BUSTEK, Esq. 



Louisville, Kentucky: 
1867. 



INTRODUCTION. 



There is an ancient proverb, which 

We all have heard or read, 
"Familiar as a household word:" 

"The fools are not all dead." 

And singular as it appears. 

It cannot "be denied, 
That nearly every day, we see 

This truth exemplified. 

And it is equally as strange, 

And equally as true, 
Our nation loves humbuggery, 

So that it's something new. 

But of all the great humbugs, which we 

Have seen or read about, 
These Spiritual performances 

Surpass all others out. 

Although repeatedly exposed 

As trickery and fraud, 
Yet there are multitudes who still 

Those fallacies applaud; 



Becoming willing dupes of those, 

Who practice every art 
To turn the minds and hearts of men, 

From God and truth apart. 

Of late, our citizens have been 

The victims of a plot, 
Of shameful impositions, which 

Will not be soon forgot. 

How they succeeded for a while, 
And how they came to woe, 

And how their dupes were taken in, 
The following pages show. 




The Last Great Humbug; 



iBpirifuali^m ©:xplc£>et> anb ©;xpc#ec>. 



'Twas in the town of Louisville, 

In the winter of sixty-seven. 
Three men appeared, who claimed to hold 

Communion with high Heaven ; 

To call from the supernal shores, 

The spirits of the dead, 
Which wonderful phenomena 

Turned many a foolish head. 

One's name was W. T. Church, 
Though no churchman was he, 

A young man, too, of medium size, 
And a medium claimed to be. 



The next was T. M. Church, Esq. 

The father of the first, 
Who was a healing medium, 

In all diseases versed. 



The third and last was Jenkins, an 

Ex-minister, and who 
Was a cadaverous looking chap, 

And agent for the two. 

The mission of these three great men, 

Was trumpeted around, 
How they had come to Louisville^ 

That Spirits might abound. 

And multitudes ran after them, 

In wild infatuation, 
And swallowed all they saw and heard 

Of this new dispensation. 

And many men of learning went — 

The doctors, lawyers, all, 
The men and women, boys and girls 

Old, young, and great and small. 

And all the people were amazed 
At what they heard and saw, 

Believing it as sacred, and 
As true as Gospel law. 



They held their seances by night, 

In darkness most profound, 

The peoplo sitting hand in hand. 

The medium strongly bound. 



And while they thus in darkness sat, 

The gentle Spirits came, 
And played upon the instruments, 

And called them each by name. 

The spirit of 'NTimwaukee came, 

An ancient Indian Chief, 
Who died a thousand years ago, 

According to belief. 

And little Swiss likewise appeared, 

A maiden young and fair, 
Who played upon the instruments 

{Whenever she was there). 

And thus, from night to night, they went 

These wonders to behold, 
And scorned their friends' opinions, that 

They all were being sold. 



They said it was self-evident 

The thing was genuine, 
A glorious institution, which 

Was holy and divine. 

It was a sweet, consoling thing, 

They said, for little Swiss, 
Each night, from Heaven to coiBtf down, 

And give them each a kiss; 



Likewise to hear Nimwaukeo talk, 

In his peculiar way, 
Although they scarce could understand 

One word he had to say. 

But, most of all, they felt their hearts 

Superlatively blessed, 
In meeting their departed friends. 

And by them being caressed. 

At last, suspicions seemed to haunt 

The anxious minds of some, 
Who positively declared the thing 

A big "bug" with a "hum;" 

And swore they would investigate 
The thing, cost what it would; 

And if 't was sound 'twould do no harm— 
If not, a heap of good. 

Therefore, upon a certain night, 

When the medium supposed 
All hunkidori, lights were struck, 

And everything exposed. 



And, Lo 1 there stood the medium 
Before their wondering gaze, 

Humbugging them, as lie hud done 

Before, in various ways. 



And when they realized the truth, 

That they were taken in, 
The way they cursed the mediums, 

Was certainly a sin, 

'Twas mortifying, too, to think 

That each caressing kiss 
Was given by that ugly cuss, 

Instead of little Swiss. 

; Twas very evident, indeed, 

They felt exceeding cheap, 
And that they inwardly confessed 

The joke was rather steep; 

Their confidence seemed shaken, too, 

In spiritual affairs, 
And some declared that it was one 

Of Satan's wily snares. 

They'd nightly frequented the place — 

Their money freely paid, 
Believing that their Spirit friends 

Were there (poor fools) arrayed : 

And that, from night to night, they had 

Communion with them held, 
And cherishing the fond belief, 

With joy their bosoms swelled. 



10 



Alas ! for transitory things — 

For grim misfortune's cup, 
The cherished obiect of your hearts, 

At last, has busted up. 

Poor, weak deluded mortals, ye 

Oar sympathy have wakened, 
And ye deserve it, free and full, 

If we are not mistaken ed. 

In mourning let your hearts be draped, 

Let solemn church bells toll, 
While weeping friends shall gather round. 

In sorrow to condole. 

Those long, long hours in darkness passed, 

Ye never can redeem. 
The '• Greenbacks" ye so freely spent. 

Have vanished like a dream. 

The mediums, oh.! whore are they? 

Poor Jenkins, where is lie? 
In Castle Thomas' gloomy eel 

Now pine the illustrious three ; 



Deserted by their formor friends — 

Xiimvaukcv, Little Swi 
A.las! (or human frailty, 

I low Rfld ;< world is tlii . 



11 



There, martyrs to their fallen cause, 
Their fate they must abide, 

Until, before the Magistrate, 

They are brought forth and tried. 

Unless, perchance, the spirit of 
JSTimwaukee should come down, 

And break their iron prison bars, 
And help them out of town. 

Thus we will leave the luckless chaps, 

To the "big Injin's " care, 
While we again assure their dupes, 

Our sympathy they share. 




'Twas on the Wednesday following, 
The day was dark and drear, 

Yet crowded was the spacious court, 
This famous case to hear. 



12 



At last, the prisoners arrived, 

Those devotees to sin; 
The witnesses, then, being sworn, 

Their evidence gave in. 

The witness who first took the stand, 

Was Dr. Jones, the chief 
Exposer of the thing, which brought 

The mediums to grief. 

His lengthy testimony showed 
That he had once believed, 

That he had held communion with 
The dead, for whom, he grieved ; 

And that the spirit of his wife, 
Had to this world returned, 

And daily, more and more, his soul 
For this communion yearned. 



At last, suspicion whispered what 

Was generally supposed, 
Thatiit was all a humbug, and 

He swore 't should be exposed, 

Then other witnesses appeared, 

Who gave (heir evidence, 
Which showed 'twas ;tll humbuggery, 

Performed by the defence. 



Then followed the profound debates 

Of all the L. L. D.'s, 
Which pleased the large and eager crowd, 

To listen to their pleas. 

The lawyers did their very best, 

For clients and for State, 
And brought forth telling arguments, 

In logical debate. 

'Twas very late when they were through, 

And it was plain to see, 
With all their eloquence, the State 

Could not sustain their plea; 

As evidence of which, the Judge, 

With his accustomed grace, 
To the defendent's great delight, 

At once discharged the case. 

The prisoners' hearts beat high with joy, 

To find that they were free, 
When, lo ! the U. S. Marshall said, 

'•My friends, you'll go with me." 



So, back to Castle Thomas, they 
Were sent to stop awhile, 

And gloomy disappointment lurked, 
Where late was seen a smile. 



14 



But brief was their confinement there, 
Within the dungeon's pale, 

For fortunately, they procured 
A friend, who went their bail. 



Thus ends my touching narrative, 
Of this great Humbug case, 

And never may the like again, 
Our community disgrace. 

And, in conclusion, let me give 

My readers all a slice 
(I iisk you nothing for it friends,) 

Of practical advice. 

In future, have no more to do 
With Spirits. If your search is 

For Heavenly truth, look not for it 
Among the Devil's Church 



But turn to the inspired page, 

To Revelation, given 
By God, which shall conduct your souls 
yw\) * To happiness and Eeaven, 



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